3/30/13

Follow ME


It was Palm Sunday.
The children waved palm branches and sang, "Hosanna".

The choir and the congregation sang "Hosanna".
"Hosanna in the Highest".



We were instructed to greet one another with the question,
"What does it mean to follow Jesus?"


Most all - young, old, wise and wiser had it
 -the deer in the headlights look -
you know - "I've never thought about it before".


The next question was -
"What does it mean to keep His commands?"


Not the Ten Commandments - 
HIS (Jesus') COMMANDS.


And then there was the convicting statement that,
we I read them, study them, memorize them, look them up in Greek,
and discuss them in a group.

But do we I obey them?

So I did what I do best.
I opened my Bible
and read the red
(you know - the words of Jesus).
Then I marked His commands.

and I made a list:


(Matthew)
Repent
Follow Me
Rejoice
Be glad
Let your light shine
Be reconciled
Make friends with your opponent
Make no oath
Turn the other cheek
Give to him who asks
Love your enemies
Pray for those who persecute you
Do not lay up treasures on earth
Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven
Do not be anxious
Seek first His kingdom
Do not judge
Follow Me
Follow Me
Heal the sick
Raise the dead
Cleanse the lepers
Cast out demons
Be shrewd as serpents
Be innocent as doves
Do not fear
Do not fear
Do not fear
Come to me
Take my yoke
Hear
Receive
Take courage
Come
Hear and understand
Deny yourself
Follow Me
Do not be afraid
Learn
Be on the alert
Be on the alert
Watch and pray
Do not be afraid
Go
Make disciples
Baptize them
Teach them to observe all that I have commanded you


(Mark)
Repent
Believe
Follow Me
Be cleansed
Follow Me
Hear
Do not be afraid
Be still
Go in peace
Be healed
Arise
Come away
Rest awhile
Only believe
Take courage
Do not be afraid
Listen to Me
Be opened
Watch out
Be Aware
Get behind Me, Satan
Have faith in God
Forgive
Be on your guard
Do not be anxious
Pray
Keep on the alert
Be on the alert
Be on the alert
Watch and pray
Go
Preach the gospel


(Luke)
Do not fear
Be cleansed
Give to everyone who asks
Love your enemies
Do good
Lend
Do not judge
Give
Do not be afraid
Only believe
Take nothing for your journey
Deny yourself
Follow Me
Follow Me
Carry nothing
Heal the sick
Say, "The Kingdom of God is near"
Ask
Seek
Knock
Hear the word
Observe the word
Do not be afraid
Do not become anxious
Beware
Be on your guard
Do not be anxious
Repent
Repent
Enter by the narrow door
Do not take a place of honor
Invite the poor, crippled, lame, blind
Be on your guard
Forgive
Forgive
Hear
Permit the children to come to Me
Follow me
Do not be misled
Be on your guard
Keep on the alert
Do this in remembrance of Me
Pray
Rise and pray


(John)
Come
Follow Me
You must be born again
Believe in Me
Do not be afraid
Believe
Do not grumble
Do not judge
Sin no more
Keep My word
Follow Me
Let not your heart be troubled
Believe Me
Ask anything
Love Me
Keep my commandments
Keep my word
Let not your heart be troubled
Abide in Me
Love one another
Go
Bear fruit
Love one another
Remember
Ask
Receive
Take courage
Follow Me
Follow Me
Follow Me


So......
Do you I consider yourself myself a follower of Jesus?
Do you I keep His commands?

Mess of an old woman that I am,
 I stir up the courage to say like David, 
"Search me, O God, and know my heart;"
Believe
"Try me and know my anxious thoughts;"
Do not fear
"And see if there be any hurtful way in me,"
Repent
"And lead me in the everlasting way."
Follow
(Psalm 139:23-24)

Because,
"Not everyone who says to Me,
'Lord, Lord'
will enter the kingdom of heaven;
but he who does the will of My Father 
who is in heaven."
(Matthew 7:21)



Believe
Repent
Do Not Fear
Follow


Preach the Gospel



3/20/13

First Day of Spring

Today is the
FIRST DAY OF SPRING



Spring -
 the season between winter and summer
life and hope
digging in the dirt and planting petunias in pots
walking in the park and four wheeling in the pasture

Spring -
 tulips and irises and (ahhh) lilacs 
neon green leaves on mesquite trees
and shorts and sandals and warm sunshine
bobbin' robins, singing mockingbirds 
and scissor-tails slicing the warm air.

Spring -
 wildflowers and bluebonnets on the road side
yellow and pink cactus blooms
and daises.

Except in North Dakota


where we've had three storms this month
and there's still three feet of snow covering everything spring.

The first day of SPRING?
I guess it's spring time
  somewhere!

I found this quote today:

"Despite the forecast,
live like it's spring."

I bought some daises for the dining table.

Even in our coldest days
there's still hope.


3/5/13

Weathering the Storm

In North Dakota,
We KNOW the storms will come
and we prepare



with hats and coats and gloves 
and benches in our mudrooms.


We tell ourselves it's ok to have more than one pair of boots.
We lay big rugs at the doors,
where we stomp three times
and toe tap twice to get the snow off when we come inside.


Our pantries and freezers are full of food
 just in case...
there's no electricity
or we can't get to the store
or ...just in case.

And when the storm ends
and the sun shines,


we make paths, and clear our drives
with brooms and shovels and snow blowers that we bought on warmer days,
because we knew the storms would come.


Then we clean up after the storm,


piling the snow anywhere,
even in the street.


And we laugh and play


and make the best of the storms aftermath


as if snow is normal


which it pretty much is.


Jesus told us in John 16:33
that storms (troubles) will come.
(Not might - WILL)

Storms of life have lots of different names-
illness, death, divorce, bankruptcy, foreclosure, job loss.
If you haven't had a storm, thank God,
but know that 
according to Jesus, stormy days
 are in the long term forecast.

Proverbs 6:6
Reminds us to consider the ant
and her wisdom in storing up for the winters.

So be prepared.
Make sure the Ephesians 6:10-16 armor
is not just in your closet,
but worn daily
to protect you when the storms of life blow.

When this storm was in North Dakota,
it was "sure a bad one"
with nothing more than serious
"Do Not Travel" warnings.

But now that it has gone through Minneapolis and 
headed for Chicago and the east coast,
it has a name:
Winter Storm Saturn.
I wonder when we started naming storms?

Psalm 30:5 encourages us that
storms (weeping) may last for the night,
but joy comes in the morning.

So hunker down in the storm


like our little south of the border friends
and remember that you'll be
resting in springtime blooms 
 - maybe lilies of the valley
 before you know it.

 I think it's also fine to dream
 of warmer days and sunnier places
when you are in a storm.


Don't you?

I hope you are warm and cozy wherever you are.

Thanks for stopping by.








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